Love is...

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#unconditionalLOVE

#Valentinesday

*Photo courtesy of  Blooming Tots

Is your bump a little green horse?

What Chinese sign is your little one?

Chinese Astrology is based on the 12 animals- Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig and five elements- Metal, Fire, Wood, Water and Earth.  

It is understood that these 12 animals appeared in front of the Buddha/Jade Emperor in the above order after an invitation to visit.  These twelve animals rotate in a 12-year cycle, with each year being named after the animal. For example we are currently in the Year of the Snake.  

The 5 elements represent the 5 largest planets and combine with Yin and Yang to create a system of 10 stems (Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water) and combine within the 12 branches (animals). With the combination of these 5 elements, two stems and the 12 animals they combine together to create a 60-year cycle. 

The beginning of the year is not as predictable as our new year starting on 1^st January. 

The Chinese New Year normally starts towards the end of January. This year, starting January 31st, we celebrate the year of the Green Wooden Horse.

If you are due to have a baby in 2014, after 31st January your baby will be a little Wooden Horse.

Chinese Astrology has a close relationship with Chinese Philosophy. According to Chinese Astrology the year you are born tells you a lot more then just your age.

The Horse is the 5^th position in the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese like Horses for many reasons. Horses provided a good and quick transportation for people before automobiles were invented.  A Horse is a ride to a destination. Therefore,  a horse is not only a symbol of travelling, but also a sign of speedy success. Horses are known to like to compete with others. They chase for their freedom, passion and leadership. Therefore, people will have busy schedule for their goal in the year of Horse. In Chinese Five Element Astrology, Horse is connected to fire, red and heat.A horse is a social animal and red is also connected to love, therefore a horse is treated as a Romantic Star in Chinese Astrology. If your baby is due in this Chinese year of the wooden horse, you can expect confidence, generosity, leadership, free spirit and a yearn for freedom to roam with lots  and lots of love.

My little girl, born in May 2010 is a Tiger. Apparently I have a born leader on my hands! And Sam my little boy, born in August 2011 is a Rabbit- He’s timid, sweet and sensitive. Ummmmmm…. Although I am not sure timid is a word I would associate with Sam that’s my two pretty much down to a T.

So, coming from a lady born in the Sign of the Goat (apparently I’m dependable, intelligent, creative and calm) I look forward to meeting all the little green wooden horses out there very soon. Especially the wooden horses that will be making a little appearance in my family and friends lives!

Hurry up little horses,...I can't wait to meet you all.

 A x

unikgifts

Wordless Wednesday-

Christmas day platter!

Which animal/friend is your favourite?

unikgifts

Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday

7th December 2013

We'll be participating in Small Business Saturday this weekend?

Are you?

Click here to read more.

unikgifts.co.uk

Monday Maker- the beautiful montage

eat

play

dance

adorn

hang

cherish

keep

love

unikgifts

Supporting Handmade this Christmas...

It's just under 6 weeks till Christmas day!

How will you be doing your shopping this year??

Here's something that we've found on facebook that has been shared shared and shared some more!

Will you be taking part?

z

#shoplocal #handmade #independents

Wordless Wednesday

Sarah D Photography

Christmas is a coming!

unikgifts.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday- In the press again!

See you Saturday if you are local!

#Godalming Round&About

Click here to see a readable version

unikgifts.co.uk

A sentimental sausage

Did you know this week is Grandparents week? 

Nor did I till stumbled across it in Facebook. 

So with that in mind and because it would have been my Dads birthday today, I celebrate my Dad.

He died before ever meeting his Grandchildren but I know he would have been a super duper Grandaddy who would have adored them all and spent endless hours playing, being silly and teaching his now four grand children whilst watching them grow into happy little grown ups

Today I SMILE for my Dad and all the other Grandparents who can't be with us anymore.

I'll be sipping a pint of T.E.A and eating cream crackers by the stack with him in mind today. 



Miss you X

unikgifts

Monday Maker- The lovely Sarah is in the PRESS

Today I share a WONDERFUL press article 

that Sarah from Beetroot Press and her gorgeous house have featured in.

Find Sarah's things here  on the unikgifts website

Beetroot Press

Friday funny...Overdramatic Children

I found this on BloomingTots  facebook page last week. 

This lady makes me laugh pretty much every day with her funny picture posts.

I saw this and thought of my big naughty....

unikgifts

A passion for reading...

www.unikgifts.co.uk not only has lovely toys & nursery pieces, it also features books. This is because Anna & I LOVE books & as keen readers we are hoping to pass this on to our little ones!

As an IT geek many of my friends & family are flabbergasted that I don't own an electronic device for my passion (not mentioning any names or trademarks here but I think you know). Surely the lady who owns a smart phone, a pro laptop & provides IT support for her family, her in-law family, her neighbours (the more elderly one) & who taught herself HTML & PHP while up with an awake crying baby would JUMP at the chance to pick up the next evolution of books? Surely she would? No???

No. And I don't believe those electronic devices are the next evolutionary step for books either, but that's a WHOLE other blog so I shall not digress.

There's a lot to be said for books that the electronic devices don't have. For starters there's the illustrations - our very own Victoria Plum drawings are the originals from one of the books about her. These illustrations make the story come alive for those that struggle to read the words. My little one will often guess what's happening next in the story because there's a delicate illustration there to show her. Some of the really old, beyond rescuing story books, have illustrations that can be framed as a lovely momento of a well loved story.










The smell of the book. Who hasn't walked into a large

old library & just stood there breathing in the smell of ancient leather bound books & knowledge? There's a magical muster that comes with a book, as if the writer & publisher added the sense of excitement & wonder that produces this magical scent. If you don't believe me then watch Disney's Beauty & The Beast - Belle knows she's in a library even before she opens her eyes (look who she breathes in the smell!).

The feel of a book. Pages are fabulous & it's a joy to turn them. Hence the phrase... it's a real page turner (this is now sadly used to describe films more than books). There's no way to describe the satisfaction of holding a book in your hand, turning the pages & coming to that point where you have read so much of the book that it sits comfortably in your hand & gives you a sense of accomplishment at how far you and the characters of the book have come. Also a twinge of sadness as you can feel there's only a shorter volume of time you'll spend together in the rest of this adventure.

So encourage your child to read, not with electronic devices (they have enough time with them for playing & watching things), but with books. Real books. Choose one of our delightful stories to help them on their way.

You never know, they like Belle could be starting a really big adventure in the world of reading!
Pop over to http://www.unikgifts.co.uk/products/artwork_peaspeavintagebooks.php and see which story adventure you'd like to take with your little one.

A special friend

I am busy with a few lovely bespoke orders for special memory boxes at the moment. 

So not to leave you in the lurge today in the world of blogging, I thought I  would share with you a box I made for a ladies Birthday- depicting her late doggy Max, A Welsh Springer Spaniel.

Not something we will add to the u-ni-k gifts website as it's not very baby-Esq.  But a very good example to show you how individual and personal we can make our gifts.

Thrilled that it bought happy tears to the eyes of the new owner.

unikgifts

Teacup tuesday....Our customers

We love our customers, we especially love knowing and seeing that what we choose to feature on the u-ni-k gifts website is loved and cherished, just like we hoped it would be.

This weekend I was sent a very beautiful picture of a little girl in one of our Antique linen apron dresses bought for her Birthday as well as being told that one of the Memory boxes I made personally for a special ladies birthday, actually bought tears to the Birthday girls eyes. Something very lovely to hear when you have spent time and care carefully trying to make something precious and lovely.

Henry's gorgeous Easter pressie is here! 
Thank you Anna And Sarah at unikgifts
Henry loves it!! 
Fantastic site for children's gifts!!!!

Dinner on our elephant meal boards

With that in mind I thought I would share some of the lovely pictures and messages sent to us from our clients who have enjoyed giving our gifts to very happy recipients.

A beautiful Birthday Antique Linen dress

A new born wrapped in her new cotton Shuktara blanket

Lucky Samson with a blanket & wooden car

Beautiful Winifred and her flowers

Handsome boys and their flying machines

Sleeping James in his Shuktara blanket.

                   

Party frocks and Cashmere at Christmas

A beautiful blanket in Brighton

A sleepy sausage with her floral Shuktara

Cuppa and cashmere

Happy customers & happy gift receivers.

unikgifts